After reading a few other conversations and taking their advice I purchased "Learning Python". I talks about Python3 being the way forward for python, but it will take awhile until most have moved on to it. Does anyone know if Ubuntu will imclude it soon as my install (Precise Pangolin) still runs 2.7.x .

The book focuses on 3 but teaches 2 along the way. I probably will only program for my own benefit first up. Should I install 3 and go for it or keep a foot in both camps?

If you are refering to Learning Python 4th edition by mark lutz? That is my first encounter with python. I love that book and use it as a reference all the time.

That book exactly. I think it was your list of information sources in another thread that led me to it. I have looked at plenty of other references, but no others seem to start from the ground up. Even with some experience in other languages I get lost due to the tutor assuming prior knowledge of important aspects of the language. When I want to know how something works I really want to delve into how it works and why. Anyone can cut and paste parts of someone elses code because it "Just works". I know it's advantageous to use pre written code to save re-inventing the wheel and is one huge advantage of Python, but it doesn't hurt to get why it does what it does. Helps kill off bugs as they appear too.

Hopefully once I have learned more I can contribute more on the forum rather than soaking up others knowledge.